The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-30
RETURNING STEWARDS BODY
GIVEN UP ny THE ROBBERs ON A
LOVELY WEsTCHEsTfR ROAD.
Price, $40. 600 Received ny n Young Re.
iation OF Mrs. stewart-'rhe Cathedral
ReiIs VIII King If lt IL Ever Touched

iotiou OF Mrs. stcwnrt-'rho Cathedral
Bells wni King If IL IL Ever Touched.
The mystery which has 30 long envcloped
tho fate OF tho great millionaire dry goods deal-
or, Alexander 7. Stewart is ut last dispelled by
superintendent George W. Walling in his work,
"The Recollcctions OF a New York Chiof OF Po-
lice" which will appear next week.
Tho story OF tho famous robbery Ia familiar
10 all. On Wednesday. Nov. Z. 1879. at z A. NJ.
Frank Parker, the assistant sexton Of st.
Marks Church, ut Second avenue and Tenth
street, entered tho adjoining graveyard and
found that tho Stewart tomb had been broken
into and tho body Of It's occupant removed.
Ex-Judgo Henry Hilton and tho police author
itics we're immediately notified and tho best
detectives set to work.
Tho vault was In the centre OF tho yard, east
OF the church. and seemed. prior to the dig
cling, to havo been unmarked and concealed
from sight. 1t would BIO impossible to imng
ine u moro exposed or difficult location for a
gravc robbery An iron fence. ten feet high,
runs around the yard. Tho members OF many
old New York families were buried here, the
Stewart vault being flanked by those Of Thorn
as Bibby and Benjamin Winthrop.
The riGcd vault was Of brick. 10 by Is feet,
and twelve feet deep; the top was covered
with three feet of earth. It was entered by a
twelve stone steps to the bottom. This en-
trance was covered with three marble slabs.
and those in turn with three or four inches OF
cod on level with the surrounding turf, en-
trey hidin;: any suggestion OF an entrance.
II looked at first as II tho sexton or his MS
sistnnt were implicated. This view found an
urgent and even bittcr supporter in Judge
Hilton, who said: You don't know. suppose,
that an attompt was made to steal the body
last month"; Yes. On Oct. 0. Just four wocks
ago. tho sexton discovered that the Stewart
slab had been lifted from It's bed and put back
again. 1t had been done clunsiy and one
end Of tho marble had been dropped on the
grass; perhaps the intruders had descended to
the vault but neither the casket nor the brick
pedestal on which 1t rested had been tam
pered with. 1 discovered clay on the lock
Of the Eleventh street gate. like that over
the vault, and had new patent looks put on
the gate. and the nane slab, which was before
exposed. taken up and removed to q vacant
spot some ten feet souchwest, and sunk in the
grass to mislend other ghouls. The old place
WIS carefully sod;,ed over. / then hired Mi
chae Burton, night Waterman OF the Ivory
stable across the street, to visit the church
yard every hour and warn trespassers from tho
enclosure without saying anything to him
about Stewards vault. There was no disturb
snce and Burton's services were dispensed
with three days ago."
On the morning after the robbery Judge Hill
ton offered a reward Of $4,000 for the return
Of tho body and for information which would
convict tho parties implicated in the outrage.
The novelty and enormity OF the crime and
tho Immense reward caused hundreds to en-
gage in the search. but every effort was una
The Inside history. of the case from this point
Sss s0 Resy was Saptan u FsI @ at
that time. The first clue came from Gen.
T Ea Hi saa AT q SIw 1ao
thing about the Stewart body, and with proper
Ing to It's recovery. The .sMpcrintendent sub,
United the ofrcr to Judge Hilton. who declared
he would mover pay one cent for Mr.; Stewards
bones. unless they came accompanied by the
thieves In irons.
Con. Jones' was persistent. and wanted to
Body. .hs showed letters from the thieves, and
few days latsr gave to ths police I;afiGage
soRn pae 70 wc was dened By tho sn
Graver who had done the work.
ps rs sSns co h 81 apsn ss s:a the sSh
i 1Sf xss Ssss 81 Ha he
Hilton remained unalternbe. and the. case
was dropped by the auth9rities, but co9ti yI
With p her ceunse and strongly Wished to re-
cover ths body Learning e this the robbers
until Hl January 1852 when Gen. Jones called at
Headauarters. He brought with him parcel
Of the handles Belonging to the cofil n in which
the body had been buried: He also a,,, showed
the iirst letter 500 bill was enclosed as o ro-
OF tho body, upon the payment Of s25O,000. Tho
letter then went on to say:
a sGss s III
the IN OF November: They wsrs nc, taken away IN.
ss..ss s ;s @
stree They were then sncS,ea In znS s lined trunk
Sh AND sSeps 70 bonnSn .is
and can S'ssfs' Be in
s Il. q III
s seat 81 on viii
sossl WIN II Il sss stS ga sp &ss n' ''
ass mat h .ss S
Az az s Ss ROOD
Then you will hear from mo again -
package with the articles %entiohed #;
tho letter, was at once brought to Headqnar-
srs Three days later shs personal calling
Tho following reply came:
BosTos. Mass, Jan. 81. 1879.
p. H. Jones' Counsel NeD York ctfp:
Immedsteiy on arrival OF Herald containing "per.
tona decided express the plato from this city and
thus avoid tho discovery and publicity which would GER
Customs officials of The dominion Having satisfied the
representatives of Mrs Stewart Of Its genuinenesA you
Will await further Instructions which viii be forwarded
After tho insertion OF the second personal.
"CanadA-wili do business.-CounseL"
HEsRY @. RoNAISK.
The comm plate was received from Boston,
and brought at once to POLICE Headquarters.
On Feb. 8, at the request OF Judge Hilton, Mr..
Jones put the second personal" in the Herald.
and couple Of days later Mr.. Jones wrote to
Romaine, agreeing to act as counsel. and say
Ing that Judge Hilton was anxious TO recover
the remains. The reply which came from
Boston on Feb. II set forth the terms upon
which the body would be restored. They were
as follows
I. The amount TO be paid shall b. 300 ofo
.. The body viii he delivered TO yonrself and Judge
Hilton within TWENTY-FIVE miles or the city or Montreal
and no other person shall be present. -
The money be placed In your hants or unaor your
eontrol until Judge Hilton IL fully SAtshed Nhen you
will deliver II TO my representative.
4, Both parties to maintain forever an Hnproken
Silence In regard to the transaction " 40
These tho first last, and only terms when Will